This coming May is shaping up to be quite interesting, at least for those who are following updates on Tesla CEO Elon Musk. As per recent reports, an upcoming television documentary on Musk, Tesla, and its Autopilot program is poised to be released this coming May.
The documentary, which is titled “Elon Musk’s Crash Course,” was made from a collaboration between FX and The New York Times. The upcoming television film is part of the two companies’ documentary series, “The New York Times Presents,” which provides in-depth stories about notable people or events.
Directed by Emma Schwartz, the film will be an “expose” into Tesla and its work on its self-driving technology. The film would feature reporting from Cade Metz and Neal Boudette of The New York Times, the latter being a known critic of the EV maker on social media platforms such as Twitter.
This became quite evident in a 2018 article where Boudette highlighted (and supported to a point) the theories and efforts of Tesla short-sellers while subtly questioning if the demand for the Model 3 was really there. The report has since been proven false by the Model 3’s raw sales numbers over the years.
As per a Variety report, the upcoming documentary would discuss how Tesla’s Autopilot program had resulted in several deaths, which Musk and the electric vehicle maker are reportedly yet to acknowledge. The film also details Musk’s supposed efforts to curb investigations into the Autopilot incidents. Several former Tesla employees would also be speaking out against Musk for the first time in the documentary.
“Elon Musk’s Crash Course” will be available for streaming on May 20 on FX and Hulu.
While the topic of the upcoming documentary is compelling, there seems to be a pretty fair chance that the film would be an imbalanced take on Tesla and its Autopilot system. The documentary’s focus on Autopilot deaths seems quite sensationalist, considering that Tesla publishes regular vehicle safety reports every quarter. Tesla critics also tend to confuse Autopilot, a driver-assist system, with Full Self-Driving, which is designed for automatic driving.
It should be noted that Tesla’s FSD Beta program has already expanded to over 100,000 users since its launch in late 2020, and it has resulted in no confirmed injuries so far, despite strong criticism from skeptics of the company and Musk. Tesla’s Autopilot system also has clear rules whenever it gets engaged by drivers, with Tesla strongly reminding users that the system is still a hands-on solution that requires constant attention.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
News
Tesla China insurance registrations hit Q3 high at 13,400 units
Year-to-date, Tesla’s China registrations are down 6.1% versus 2024 levels.
Tesla’s insurance registrations in China surged to 13,400 units for the week of August 4–10, the highest weekly total so far in the third quarter of 2025. The figure represents a 21.8% increase from the prior week’s 11,000 registrations, as per industry tracking data.
Industry watchers weigh in
Data shared by industry watcher @piloly shows the latest week’s results were 21.8% higher than the previous week, though still down 13.5% year-over-year. After six weeks of Q3 2025, Tesla’s China registrations are tracking 70.9% higher quarter-over-quarter compared to Q2, but remain 11.0% below the same period in Q3 2024. Year-to-date, Tesla’s China registrations are down 6.1% versus 2024 levels.
Tesla China does not release its weekly domestic sales figures, though the company’s overall performance in the country can be inferred through insurance registration data. Fortunately, these registrations are closely tracked by industry watchers as well as automakers such as Li Auto.
More momentum
The August performance so far indicates Tesla may be regaining some momentum after a slower start to the year. Tesla’s sales figures this year have generally lagged behind 2024, thanks in no small part to the company’s changeover to the new Model Y, which was implemented in the United States, China, and Germany.
Tesla China seems to be doing what it can to attract as many customers as possible this quarter. Tesla recently launched a new long-range Model 3 variant in China with a CLTC-rated range of 830 km, as noted in a CNEV Post report. Priced at RMB 269,500 ($37,490), the model is about 14.44% more expensive than the entry-level version and becomes the longest-range Tesla on sale in the market. Tesla is also expected to launch the six-seat Model Y L in China this fall.
Cybertruck
Tesla clears the air on Cybertruck ‘deactivation’ video that is obviously fake
Tesla has cleared the air on the viral video, stating it is fake.
Tesla has cleared the air regarding a video that has been circulating, where the owner claims his Cybertruck was “deactivated” by the company while he was driving.
The video was shared on X and showed a driver pulled over on the side of the road, claiming his Cybertruck had been deactivated by Tesla in the middle of traffic. It is very obviously fake to those who know the company, but these kinds of things have a tendency to pick up steam.
This video is going viral of a Cybertruck “de-activated” in the middle of the road. What’s wild is a lot of people are believing it. People’s hate for Tesla and Elon Musk seems to shadow their critical thinking skills.
It’s likely a YouTube video or something just playing on… pic.twitter.com/HJr00Umjbu
— Jeremy Judkins (@jeremyjudkins_) August 11, 2025
The video shows a screen that says:
“Tesla Cybertruck De-Activated. Critical Issue Detected | Contact Customer Service, Comply with Cease & Desist to Re-Activate. Update Failed, Return to Dealer.”
The same person who posted the video also shared an image of what appears to be a Cease and Desist letter from Tesla, but it is also likely fake:
He also claims Tesla sent him a cease and desist letter because he made a song titled Cybertruck or something like that.
That’s why the error message in the video mentions a cease and desist. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/1zdtGApEfj
— Jeremy Judkins (@jeremyjudkins_) August 11, 2025
The company finally responded to the video on Monday afternoon, stating that the video is, in fact, fake, reiterating that it will not disable vehicles remotely for any reason.
This is fake – that’s not our screen.
Tesla does NOT disable vehicles remotely. https://t.co/QFOLG74AJI
— Tesla (@Tesla) August 11, 2025
It is a shame that these types of things happen, especially as people are prone to believe anything they see on the internet. As there is so much misinformation circulating surrounding Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk, it is no surprise that someone would leverage the situation for their own benefit.
If that Cease and Desist letter is not real, perhaps the next one might be. These types of things can truly cause damage to a company’s reputation, and someone getting an idea that Tesla would remotely deactivate a car could prevent them from buying one.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk is stepping up for Tesla Service in a big way
Elon Musk has stepped up to resolve a handful of customer issues regarding vehicle service.
Elon Musk is stepping up to help customers in a big way, especially when they are having issues with Tesla’s Service.
Perhaps one of the biggest advantages Tesla owners have is access to Musk through X, his social media platform. Over the years, we’ve seen Tesla add features, refine its cars’ performance, and more, all through asking Musk directly through a post.
Now, Musk is stepping up in another way by resolving a few Service complaints that customers had.
The first occurred last week when a recall on a Tesla battery was not honored by Service. The company sought $30,000 for a replacement and labor, which was not right. Musk responded that he would personally investigate the matter. The vehicle was fixed at no cost as it was a recall, and was ready for pickup the next day.
A Tesla story in four parts. 👏
Pretty nuts that the user in that second post is the CEO of a trillion-dollar company. pic.twitter.com/5VhXLka5s8
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 8, 2025
It also revealed a new strategy Tesla is using to combat service communication issues:
Tesla creates clever solution to simplify and improve its Service
The next occurred with a Cybertruck owner who was in Japan. Their car was parked at an airport in the U.S. and had lost a vast majority of its state of charge, leaving them just fifty miles of range at the time.
Musk reached out to the owner and said Service will take care of the car and will investigate the cause of the battery drain:
This is strange. Tesla service will take care of your car and we will find out why this happened and fix it.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 8, 2025
There are not too many companies out there where the CEO will get involved with individual issues like these. It’s pretty exclusive to Tesla, as Musk has commonly stepped up to resolve complaints with vehicles or to confront features that some owners might find useful.
Service has been a weak point of the company for some time, but it has worked to refine and resolve customer complaints by building more Service Centers across the world that can handle these issues.
Tesla China insurance registrations hit Q3 high at 13,400 units
Tesla clears the air on Cybertruck ‘deactivation’ video that is obviously fake
Elon Musk is stepping up for Tesla Service in a big way
-
Elon Musk6 days agoElon Musk teases crazy new Tesla FSD model: here’s when it’s coming
-
Elon Musk3 days agoElon Musk confirms Tesla AI6 chip is Project Dojo’s successor
-
News2 weeks agoTesla hints a smaller pickup truck could be on the way
-
News3 days agoTesla Model Y L reportedly entered mass production in Giga Shanghai
-
Elon Musk4 days agoTesla CEO Elon Musk details massive FSD update set for September release
-
News2 weeks ago
Elon Musk highlights Tesla Model Y’s most underrated feature
-
News2 weeks agoTesla takes first step in sunsetting Model S and X with drastic move
-
Cybertruck3 days agoTesla’s new upgrade makes the Cybertruck extra-terrestrial